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NBA: Kelly Olynyk hasn’t made expected splash with Boston Celtics

By Gary WashburnBOSTON GLOBE

Thu., Dec. 19, 2013

WALTHAM, MASS.—It all seemed so easy five months ago in Orlando. Kelly Olynyk sailed down the court like a vessel with a powerful engine, stopping to launch jumpers on the break or drive to the basket.

Olynyk was arguably the best player at the Orlando Summer League, a potential Rookie of the Year candidate for a rebuilding Celtics club that would desperately need his production. It looked like a move by the Celtics to trade up the draft board, with the Dallas Mavericks who picked him No. 13, was paying off immediately.

Nearly a third of the way through the season, Olynyk’s transition to the NBA has been a meticulous process, though he suffered a sprained right ankle that cost the Canadian 10 games and has been erratic shooting from the perimeter.

Olynyk, born in Toronto before moving to British Columbia with his family, is shooting 40 per cent from the field and 24 per cent from the 3-point line. He scored in double figures three times in his first eight games but hasn’t scored more than nine since.

Finally recovered from the nagging ankle injury, comfortable enough to launch the open jumper and receiving enough playing time to make an impact, Olynyk could be a factor for the Celtics in the coming months.

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“They’re both basketball,” he said with a smile when asked to compare summer league and the regular season. “But it’s definitely a different level, different guys, it’s another step up but that’s part of the learning process. You’ve got to work on a little bit different stuff in order to get your shots off and gain some respect.”

It’s not too late for Olynyk to make a rookie of the year run and coach Brad Stevens said the 7-footer will play a primary role in his big-man rotation. Where Olynyk has flourished is rebounding, averaging 5.3 per game in just 21.6 minutes per game, second among rookies behind Philadelphia’s Michael Carter-Williams.

Olynyk realizes he hasn’t made the expected splash.

“I’d say it’s pretty average; I wouldn’t say I’m doing anything out of the ordinary,” he said. “But that’s part of the process. Stuff is not always going to come easy and when you hit adversity you’ve got to keep fighting and work through it. You can’t get down on yourself or you are going to take a turn for the worst. I wouldn’t say it’s overwhelming but it’s a challenge. Every day is a challenge and it’s the best players in the world every night and you have to bring your game every day or you’re going to get killed.”

Laid-back would be the best way to describe Olynyk. He is trying not to place pressure on himself because he realizes an NBA rookie season is a marathon. One good game can’t be embellished because there is another game the next night.

“It’s about gaining that confidence at practice and keeping it,” he said. “You can’t waiver. You can’t lose it. You might miss a couple of shots and have a bad night but you have to be able to bounce back.”

He spent Monday night observing Minnesota’s Kevin Love, who is the league’s preeminent perimeter-shooting big man. While Love missed nine of his 11 3-point attempts Monday against the Celtics, the mere threat of him beyond the arc opens up the floor for the dribble or pass. That was not lost on Olynyk.

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“It opens up the floor for other players and people have to respect you,” he said. “Personally for someone who can shoot the 3, it opens up the pump-fake game and drive game because people have to close out harder on you.”

Stevens said he has full confidence in Olynyk’s ability to adjust to the NBA and flourish when he’s healthy and comfortable. He is part of the five-man tandem with Jared Sullinger, Kris Humphries, Brandon Bass and Vitor Faverani.

“I think (his first season) has gone really well,” Stevens said. “We’ve got older guys there (at forward/centre) and Kelly’s not only held his own but at times been one of our better bigs. So like anybody else, he’s going to see some inconsistency and hopefully that inconsistency wanes as you get further along the season.”

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